


Red Letter Day

by ricekrispyjoints



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Lipstick, Love Confessions, Love Letters, M/M, One Shot, he's literally there to fill a plot hole, sold my soul to iwaoi, yahaba is the token kouhai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 01:51:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4001416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ricekrispyjoints/pseuds/ricekrispyjoints
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pulling back to examine the stamp, he blushes a little. It looks good-- the finishing touch on his letter. </p><p>He just hopes Iwaizumi will believe him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sealed With a Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Hi sometimes I get dumb iwaoi headcanons and then stories like these happen.
> 
> Not beta'd, just given a quick edit by yours truly. 
> 
> find me on tumblr and ko-fi as ricekrispyjoints, if you're into that kind of thing

Red doesn’t suit him.   
  
He always thought he looked good in any color, but now he's realizing wearing a red T-shirt is a very different look than wearing classic red lipstick.  
  
Well, no matter: the lipstick is to sign the letter, not to make him look good.  
  
But then he starts thinking. _What if Iwa-chan imagines me wearing the lipstick, and he realizes it’s not my color?_  
  
Frustrated, Oikawa grabs a Kleenex and begins wiping the red stain off his lips.   
  
He rifles through his sister's makeup bag until he finds another color. This one is called "blushing bride," and when he takes the cap off, he sees that it’s a faint baby pink.   
  
He holds the tube next to his face, considering the color against his complexion.

This one washes him out. There’s only one other tube in the bag, and he’s not about to spend money on a stick of lipstick for one confession letter.

The third one is a purple-red like raspberries, and Oikawa likes it best, so he sets to putting it on, lining his lips then filling it in, like he had seen his sister do.   
  
When he's finished, he examines his face in the mirror. This is a much better color on him, he decides.   
  
He reads over his letter once more, ensuring it says exactly what he wants and that there are no embarrassing errors.   
  
He takes a deep breath, steadying the cluster of nerves that's buzzing in his stomach, and places the letter flat on his desk.   
  
With a quick glance to the door to be sure his parents wouldn't walk in (or worse, his sister, whom he never actually asked to borrow the lipstick), he bends over to press his lips to the paper.   
  
Pulling back to examine the stamp, he blushes a little. It looks good-- the finishing touch on his letter.   
  
He just hopes Iwaizumi will believe him.  
  
x  
  
Oikawa has always thought of himself as a great actor, but this may be his best performance yet.   
  
Iwaizumi is at his desk, gaping at the letter as he reads and rereads the words, when Tooru gets to class.   
  
"Ohayō, Iwa-chan~," he greets.   
  
Startled, Iwaizumi shoves the letter under his desk. _Perfect_ , Oikawa thinks.  
  
"My, what a blush you have there, Iwa-chan," he teases.   
  
"Shut up," Iwa-chan grumbles. No nickname like Asskawa follows, though, so Tooru knows he's flustered.  
  
He decides to tempt fate just a bit. If Iwaizumi actually tells him, the whole operation could be ruined. Oikawa thinks he's embarrassed enough that he won't spoil the beans.  
  
"What's that under your desk?" he teases in a sing-songy voice.  
  
"None of your damn business," Iwaizumi grumbles.   
  
Perfect.  
  
Oikawa hums pleasantly to himself. "I'm sure you'll tell me sooner or later," he says.  
  
"In your dreams, Asskawa."  
  
Way ahead of you, Tooru thinks.  
  
x  
  
Lunch break drags on and on for Oikawa. Iwa-chan says he’ll be late, and that Oikawa shouldn't wait for him.  
  
Oikawa is about ninety percent sure he's asking around about the letter, but he wonders what approach he's taking: is he asking girls he suspects may have sent the letter, or is he asking guys who may know which girls wear berry pink lipstick?   
  
Either way, he won't be right. Tooru has been thorough in the ways he's hidden this: the crush, the letter, all of it.   
  
There's no way Iwa-chan could suspect.   
  
x  
  
"You've got to be kidding me," Iwaizumi groans.   
  
"Is Iwa-chan jealous?" Oikawa teases. He's flaunting the perfumed envelope he just found in his shoe locker. Poor timing on the girl's part, since he has more pressing things to take care of after practice today, but he never misses the chance to be a flirt.   
  
"Honestly, you should be grateful you don't get as many confessions as I do. It's so hard to turn them all down," he trails off wistfully. He hates to stand them up, but he thinks he might have to send a kouhai in his stead to apologize to this girl.   
  
"Why _do_ you turn them all down?" Iwaizumi asks after a moment.  
  
Tooru sighs.   
  
"They're all nice and pretty and obviously have good taste because they're into me"-- Iwaizumi smacks him upside the head—“but they aren't..." They aren't you, he thinks, but he bites his tongue. Not yet, Tooru. Patience.   
  
"They wouldn't appreciate how little of my time they'd actually have," he finishes. "Between volleyball and a girlfriend, I'd pick volleyball every time."  
  
"You're so one-track minded sometimes," Iwaizumi grumbles.   
  
"This conversation is getting dreary. Let's go to practice, Iwa-chan," he says with a bounce in his step.   
  
They hoist their sports bags onto opposite shoulders so they can walk side by side, and head to the gym.   
  
x  
  
Practice is alright, but Tooru has his mind on other things. He steals Yahaba aside and asks if he’ll tell the girl that Oikawa can’t accept her feelings. Yahaba complains that he shouldn’t have to, but Oikawa is nothing if not persuasive.

“When I’m graduated, you’re going to have to be the team setter,” he starts. “And part of that job is being really popular with girls. It’s better for you to get practice now.”

“Becoming the official setter isn’t going to make me more popular with girls,” he grumbles.

“Sure it will!” Oikawa assures him. “The setter is the center of the team. Without the setter, those flashy spikes and all are useless. Plus, if you get a good serve like me, then you’ll _definitely_ get lots of attention. I’ll even teach you, if you want.”

Yahaba sighs.

“Fine, I’ll go. Do you have a letter or something to give her in return? Otherwise, she’ll probably think I’m lying.”

“Already taken care of,” Oikawa sings. “I’ll give it to you after practice. You’re the best!”

Yahaba scrunches his nose, but doesn’t say anything else.

They get back to their drills, and Oikawa takes extra serve practice to settle the nervous excitement in his stomach.

x

When Irihata decides they’ve had enough practice for the day, Oikawa is the first one out of the gym. Iwaizumi yells at him to help clean up, but he just laughs and tells him, “I’ve got a confession to attend!”

Oikawa rushes through his shower, sticks the rejection letter for the girl in Yahaba’s locker, and starts his routine: skin, clothes, hair.

He feels rushed and nervous, because he doesn’t want Iwaizumi to catch him primping—it wouldn’t do for his brute of a best friend to give him a noogie and mess up all his hard work, not when it matters most.

Oikawa is fairly convinced that Iwaizumi doesn’t care in the slightest about Oikawa’s perfectly styled hair and well-moisturized skin, but _he_ does and he wants to treat this confession as seriously as possible.

The door opens and the rest of the team files into the locker room as Oikawa zips up his gym bag.

“See you later, Iwa-chan!” he calls with a giddy laugh.

Oikawa arrives in the courtyard in the place he said he’d wait for Iwaizumi: out of the way, but not impossible to find. Oikawa didn’t exactly want an audience, for once.

He shuffles his feet anxiously, wondering why it feels like Iwaizumi is taking _forever_ to get changed after practice.

“He doesn’t do anything special,” Oikawa grumbles to himself. “He just showers and lets his hair stick up all awful. It’s been too long.”

He really hopes Iwaizumi is going to show up. He doesn’t think Iwaizumi would be the type to totally snub a confession letter, but Oikawa’s not even sure Iwaizumi’s ever gotten a confession letter.

Another few minutes pass by, and Oikawa’s stomach is starting to lurch. _He thinks it’s a joke_ , _he’s not coming, he misread the letter, he can’t find the spot, he’s---_

“Oikawa?”

Oikawa’s heart stops for a moment before doubling in speed. _He came._

Oikawa puts on his best, most honest smile, but the nervous jitters in his stomach makes it pull at his eyes, and he knows it looks just a bit unnatural.

“Iwa-chan!” he says.

“Why are you here?” Iwaizumi asks.

“I—“ Oikawa starts, but his throat feels tight and his gaze falters and he can’t remember the words he practiced.

Iwaizumi knows something is off, something is wrong, and he doesn’t pressure Oikawa or call him names.

Oikawa swallows the lump in his throat, and takes a shaky breath, still looking anywhere but Iwaizumi’s face. “I asked you to meet me here, silly,” he says remembering his “script,” but it’s  without his usual air of nonchalance.

“ _You_ did?” Iwaizumi clarifies, eyebrows raised.

“I … I wrote you that letter because I didn’t know if… if you’d take me seriously if I told you to your face,” Oikawa says. He had planned to be flirty and coy, but maybe it’s better that he’s sweating like he’s in a sauna. It’s more honest.

Iwaizumi purses his lips. “You,” he says evenly. “You wrote the letter.”

“Yes,” Oikawa says, daring to make eye contact again.

“Oikawa…”

“I know, I know it’s not what you expected,” he says in a rush, “but I… I couldn’t… we can’t graduate without me telling you how I feel. I know things will change when we graduate, so I promised myself that during our third year, I would… I would tell you…”

“You’re confessing to me?” Iwaizumi asks, but he’s not angry like Oikawa feared. His voice is softer than Oikawa’s ever heard it.

Oikawa bites his lip and nods.  

Iwaizumi sighs deeply. “What was with the lipstick then?”

Oikawa furrows his brows. “ _That’s_ what you’re confused about?”

“This letter makes it look like you were trying to convince me you were a girl. Why?”

“Would you honestly have showed up if you thought it was from me?” Oikawa pouts.

“Yeah.”

“What?”

“Be serious, Iwa-chan.”

“I am. I know other people think our friendship is one-sided, but I didn’t think you did, too,” Iwaizumi teases lightly, putting his hand on Oikawa’s shoulder.

Oikawa startles at the contact, but Iwaizumi just lets it press a little harder, the warmth from his hand sinking into Oikawa, and Oikawa relaxes again.

“I don’t,” Oikawa says. “I know I’m your friend as much as you’re mine. But… but this isn’t about friendship, Iwa-chan.”

“I know,” Iwaizumi says gently.

Oikawa stares at Iwaizumi, trying to read his face. For once, he can’t.

“So are you going to let me respond to your confession?”

Oikawa just nods. _Put me out of my misery_ , he thinks.

“You’re such an obnoxious flirt,” Iwaizumi begins, and Oikawa is about to protest when Iwaizumi fixes him with a glare that could make spinach wilt.

“And I hate how air-headed and immature you get, and how much of a bratty show-off you are.”

“Iwa-chan! So m----”

“But,” he interrupts smoothly. “We’ve been friends for… for years. I don’t even know how long, and it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I _know_ you, Tooru, probably better than anyone else, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

Iwaizumi is being so careful, so _kind,_ and Oikawa thinks it makes this rejection hurt even worse.

“I’m honestly shocked that you wrote this,” Iwaizumi continues after a moment, like he’s still gathering his thoughts. “I admit I wasn’t expecting it to be you. I guess that was your intention. But… I’m glad you told me. I’ve always admired your bravery. I mean, even when you think you don’t stand a chance, you face things head on. You don’t crumble or back down.”

Oikawa looks up, blinking frequently, hoping to keep the tears in by sheer willpower. It doesn’t work.

“But sometimes you’re a huge idiot,” Iwaizumi says, moving his hand from Oikawa’s shoulder to cup his cheek, a calloused thumb brushing the errant tear away. “And you forget that I… you forget to use your brain, and fucking use your instincts for something other than hitting a volleyball.”

Iwaizumi pulls Oikawa into a hug, and Oikawa doesn’t resist at all. Iwaizumi has always been a physical person, but it’s usually to smack or punch him, so Oikawa will take this. He will accept this hug as the last bit of affection he’s likely to ever—

“Oi, Crappykawa,” Iwaizumi says. “Stop spiraling into your little pit of despair. You’re acting like I rejected you.”

“But you did, you—wait, _what_?” Oikawa shoves Iwaizumi away from him. “Stop being so evasive and just tell me, you… you… bully!”

Iwaizumi throws his head back and laughs. “Shut up and be my boyfriend.”

“Heeeehhhhh?” Oikawa exclaims gracelessly.

“I’m accepting your confession.”

“Don’t mock me, Hajime,” Oikawa frowns, punching Iwaizumi half-heartedly in the chest.

“I’m not.”

Iwaizumi grabs Oikawa’s hand, still trying to punch him, and kisses his knuckles.

“This is an interesting role reversal, though,” Iwaizumi smiles after a moment. “Usually, I’m the one responding with violence, and you’re the one trying to be affectionate.”

“You’re serious? You… you like me, too?”

“Yeah.”

“Mean, Iwa-chan! You did that on purpose! How could you?”

“I wasn’t trying to be mean; I was trying to make sure you were serious! Imagine how stupid I would feel if you were joking and then I ended up actually confessing!”

“Augh! This whole thing is a mess,” Oikawa complains.

“Yup,” Iwaizumi agrees. “Want to try again?”

“What?”

“Let’s start over,” Iwaizumi says, then leans in and kisses Oikawa quick and chaste on the lips.

When he steps back, he’s smiling. “Hey, Oikawa, I got your letter. I think that’s the best idea you’ve ever had. Let’s be a couple.”

Oikawa splutters and blushes furiously and Iwaizumi laughs.

“Your face matches the lipstick,” he chuckles.

Oikawa crosses his arms over his chest and turns his nose up like a spoiled child.

“It suits you,” Iwaizumi says, controlling his laughter to kiss Oikawa again.


	2. The Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The letter Oikawa gave to Iwaizumi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa is a huge sap.

Dear Iwaizumi-kun,

We’re in class together, and I notice you every day. You’re smart, you’re patient, you’re an incredible athlete, and you’re as handsome as anyone could ask for. You have such a talent for everything you put your mind to, it seems, and I really admire that about you.

When we interact, I know you have my best interests in mind, and though I may pretend to disprove of the rough-housing you engage in with your teammates, I actually like it.

You, quite simply, are the boy of my dreams.

I’ve known you for a while now, and I think I know enough about you to tell you that I love you.

This letter may seem forward, but I want you to know that I truly feel these things from the bottom of my heart. If you would do me the honor of meeting me after volleyball practice in the courtyard, behind the third pillar to the south, I would be very grateful.

Sincerely,

 

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 2 is just going to be the letter that Oikawa wrote, and it'll be up soonish. Thanks for reading!


End file.
